Feed-water regulator.



L. B. FULTON.

FEED WATER. REGULATOR.

APPLICATION N'LBD 11113.11. 1913.

2 SHEET-S-SHEET l.

3 n vanto/a L. B. FULTON...

FEED WATER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION/FILED 113.11, 1913.

' intereso.

El i WL I LOUIS B. FULTON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, SSIGNOR T0 THE CHAPLIN- FULTON MANUFACTURING- COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- PORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

FEED-WATER REGULATOR.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Application led 'February 11, 1918. Serial No. 747,774.

T0 all whom'z't may concern Be it known that I, Louis B. FULTON, of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed- Water Regulators; and I do hereby declare `the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

According to existing practices, feedwater is usually supplied to boilers intermittently, that is to say, when the water 1n a boiler, consequent upon the generation of steam, falls to a certain level, the supply of water is replenished, and this supply is discontinued after a predetermined level is restored. The feed-water being relatively cool, additional heat calories are. necessargr to overcome the chilling influence of the incoming water. By reason of this chilling 1n Huence, the action of a boiler is irregular and the highest leiiiciency is not attainable. l It is well recognized in the art that,theoretically,

It is known in the art that at the time of the greatest output of steam from a superheater the pressure in the outlet main may have a range of several ounds below the boiler pressure. This is a so true, in respect to boilers having no super-heater, the f all in pressure being occasioned by the friction in the outlet main. It is the purpose` of my invention to utilize this fall 1n pressure to bring about the automatic supply of a relatively small quantity of fee -water, such supply being automatically discontinued when the dierence in pressure is overcome or is made to equal that in the boiler. In this way the periods between the full head supplies of feed-water is prolonged by the the controlling device in almost continuous supply of a relatively small head of water. Y g In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1s an elevation, with parts broken away, showing an arrangement for carrying out my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of a portion of a boiler showing a super-heater. Fig. Sis a vertical longitudinal view through the feed line. Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a pair of boilers, which are shown as a pair only by way of illustration; 2 the feed line having branches opening into the boilers below the water levels therein, and 3 a superheater of lmown construction having an outlet main 4.

In the feed line 2 is a water controller 5, which is shown in section in Fig. 3. This controller is shown as comprising a main valve 6, which is shown as having its stem connected to a piston 7 in a. housing 8, into the top of which latter opens a steam pipe 9, whereby the boiler-pressure may be utilized for normally holdingthe main valve to its seat as against the tension of a spring 10 and the action of the water against the underside of the valve. In vertical alinement with the main valve is an auxiliary valve 12 of considerably less cross-sectional area than the main valve. These valves control oppositely disposed ports through which the feed-water passes to the boiler. The stem of the auxiliary valve is connected to a diaphragm 13 in a housing 14, and an extension of the stem of this auxiliary valve is engaged by a weighted lever 15, the oiiice of which is to hold the auxiliary valve to its seat when the pressures on the opposite sides of the diaphragm are in balance. Into the housing 14,

above the diaphragm, opens a steam-pipe 16 which leads from the steam space or dome of the boiler. In the present instance I have shown this steam-pipe 16 as having a supply branch 17 leading from the top of the watercolumn. Into the housing 14, at a point beneath the diaphragm, opens a second steampipe 18, which at its other end is connected` to outlet main 4 of the super-heater as indicated in Fig. 2.

Any suitable means, preferably such as will be automatically controlled by the water-levels in the boiler, may be employed for cutting od and admitting steam to pipe 9 for controlling the main valve. I have feed-water regulator of the type' shown in Letters Patent. No. 662,488, issued to me November 27, 1900, such regulator having means whereby it will be automatically ac' tuated when the water-level in the boiler lowers to a predetermined point, thereby cutting off the steam supply to pipe 9 and releasing the pressure on piston 7, to allow the main valve to open, and which will likewise admit steam to pipe 9 to effect the reseating of such valve when the desired level has been attained. The steam supply through pipe 16 "leading to the housing above the diaphragm is constant, that is to say, it is not intermittently discontinued and restablished as is the case with the supply through pipe 9. -4

Both the steam pipes 16 and 18 are equally inclined or otherwise arranged so that the static head of water of condensation in each will balance that in the other.

' The end of the pipe 18 which opens into the steam main is preferably canted, or at a slight angle, so that the outiowing steam will have an aspirating eect and tend to lower the pressure beneath the diaphragm.

In practice, when there is any fall in pressure in the steam main, the pressure against the underside of the diaphragm will be less than the pressure on the upper side thereof,

and in consequence the auxiliary valve will be unseated, thereby admitting a relatively small head of water to the boiler approximately in proportion to the steam consumption. When the equilibrium of pressure is restored, that is to say, when the pressure in the steam main is equal to the pressure in the boiler, the pressure against the underside of the diaphragm is increased, and the pressure on the upper and lower sides also being equalized, the auxiliary valve will be reseated and remain closed until such time as the fall in pressure again occurs, whereupon it will be again opened, allowing of a further relatively small supply of feedwater to the boiler. The replenishing of the water through the unseating of the auxiliary valve is not in itself sufficient to maintain a uniform level in the boiler, nor is it intended to be; on the contrary, as before stated, the purpose is to prolong the periods between the lowering of the normal level to an extent to require a full headof water through the feedline. Therefore, when the water level in the boiler, notwithstanding the periodic relatively small supplies of water, falls to an extent to bring about the operation of the feed-water regulator, the steam supply through pipe 9 will be out oli" and the main valve 6 will be unseated. If at this time there is any drop in the pressure in the steam main, the auxiliary valve will also be unseated, but the restoration of this pressure and the consequent reseating of the auxiliary valve will not interfere with the main valve, which latter will remain open until the normal level has been restored in the boiler, whereupon the feed-water regulator being actuated in a known way, the steam supply to pipe 9 will be restored, and the main valve will be reseated. From what has been said it will be seen that whenever there is any fall of pressure in the steam main the auxiliary valve will be opened to permit a relatively small head of water to be supplied to the boiler to compensate, in part, for the steam consumption.

The advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. It willbe seen that by means thereof economies in operation will be eected by prolonging the intervals between the supplies of the full head of water to the boiler.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a boiler, and a feed-line, means periodically actuated to open up the feed line to supply water to the boiler, and auxiliary means for supplying relatively small quantities of water during the intervals between the first mentioned supplies, such auxiliary means being actuated by diferences in pressure between different portions of the boiler.

A 2. In combination with a boiler, and a feed-line, means periodically actuated to open up the feed-line to supply water to the boiler, and auxiliary means for supplying relatively small quantities of water during the intervals between the first mentioned supplies, such auxiliary means being actuated by any fall in pressure in the outgoing steam.

3. InW combination with a boiler, a feedline, and means periodically actuated to open up the feed-line to supply water to the boiler, auxiliary means for supplying relatively small quantities of water during the intervals between the first mentioned supplies, a movable member for controlling such auxiliary means, such movable memberbeing operable by differences in pressure between different portions of the boiler.

4. In combination with a boiler, a feedline, and means periodically actuated to open up the feed-line to supply water to the boiler, auxiliary means for supplying relatively small quantities of water during the intervals between the firstlmentioned supplies, such auxiliary means comprising a valve normally held to its seat, such valve being automatically unseated by differences in pressure in different portions of the boiler to supply relatively small quantities ofV actuated to open up the feed-line to supply water to the boiler, and auxiliary means for supplying relatively small quantities of water during the intervals between the first mentioned supplies, such auxiliary means being actuated by differences in pressure between the boiler` and the super-heater.

6. In combination with a boiler, a superheater, and a feed-line, means periodically.

actuated to open up the feed-line to supply water to the boiler, and auxiliary means for supplying relatively small quantities of water during the intervals between the first mentioned supplies, such auxiliary means being actuated by any fall in pressure in the super-heater.

7. In combination with a boiler, a superhea'ter, and a feed-line, means periodically actuated to open up the feed-line to supply water to the boiler, and auxiliary means for supplying relatively small quantities of water during the intervals between the first mentioned su plies, such auxiliary means being actuate by the out-going steam from the super-heater.

8. Incombination with `a boiler, and a feed-line, means for controlling the supply of water through such feed-line comprising a main valve designed` to be opened and closed according to the water'levels in the boiler, and an auxiliary valve for supplying water to the boiler independently of the main valve, such auxiliary valve being opened and closed by pressures in different portions of the boiler.

9. In combination with a boiler, and a feed-line, means for controlling the supply of water 'through such feed-line comprlsing a main valve designed to''be opened and closed according to the water levels in the boiler, and an auxiliary valve for supplying water to the boiler. independently of the 1 main valve, such auxiliary valve being opened by any fall in pressure in the outgoing steam.

10. In combinatlon with a boiler, a superheater, and a feed-imc,` means for controlling the supply of water through such feedline comprising a main valve designed to be opened and closed accordigl to the water levels in 'the boiler, an au 'ary valve for steam.

supplying water to the boiler independently ofthe main valve, such auxiliary valve being opened by any fall in pressure in the super-heater.

11. -In combination with a boiler, a superheater, and a feed-line, means for controlling the supply of water through such feedline comprising a main valve designed to be opened and closed according to the water levels in Athe boiler, an auxiliary valve for boiler and opening on opposite'sides of the diaphragm, such valve being automatically unseated upon a fall in pressure on one side of the diaphragm.

13. In combination with a boiler, a superheater, a feed-line, and means periodically actuated to open up the feed-line to supply water to the boiler, means for supplying relatively small quantities of water during the intervals between the rst mentioned supplies, such latter means comprisinga valve, a diaphragm to which said valve is connected, and steam pipes leading, respectively, from the boiler and the super-heater and opening on opposite sides of the diaphragm,

such valve being automatically unseated upon a fall in pressure in the out-going In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS B. FULTON.

. Witnesses:

FRANCIS S. Maeumn, Inmus 'I Pornos'so. 

